Soon the weather will be improving and this means that stepping out for a nice long walk is a great, healthy and fee free idea that will help you during the day and provide a way to take a break and also stay healthy. Walks are also full of opportunities for you to observe and learn about your surroundings. So,what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take a hike, NY.
BRONX
Cass Gallagher Nature Trail
Location: Van Cortlandt Park
A short walk in from the intersection of Broadway and Mosholu Avenue, near the horse stables
Park Name: Van Cortlandt Park
Length: 1.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
John Kieran Trail
Location: Van Cortlandt Park
Enter at Golf Course via Van Cortlandt Park South and Bailey Avenue.
Park Name: Van Cortlandt Park
Length: 1.25 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Maps are available at the Van Cortlandt Nature Center. Named in 1988 for the famed naturalist and newspaperman, this trail journeys through the park's lake area and freshwater wetlands, and forms a loop with the Parade Ground.
John Muir Trail
Location: Van Cortlandt Park
Enter either at Broadway & Mosholu Avenue or Van Cortlandt Park East & Oneida Avenue.
Park Name: Van Cortlandt Park
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Other Details: Established in 1997, this trail is the only east-west path in Van Cortlandt and traverses the steep terrain at the park's center.
Accessible
Kazimiroff Trail
Location: Pelham Bay Park
Hunter Island
Park Name: Pelham Bay Park
Other Details: Native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest, salt marsh, vistas of Long Island Sound.
Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
Location: Van Cortlandt Park
Enter Trail at either Dickinson Avenue & Van Cortlandt Park South or Mosholu Parkway & West Gun Hill Road.
Park Name: Van Cortlandt Park
Length: 1.1 mile
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: [Trail renovations will begin soon. Please bear with us as we correct erosion and rebuild paths.] This segment is part of the 41-mile-long aqueduct that brought water from the Croton Dam to New York City in the 1800s.
Putnam Trail
Location: Van Cortlandt Park
Enter the park at Van Cortlandt Park South and Bailey Avenue.
Park Name: Van Cortlandt Park
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: This section of the 15-mile trail that runs up to Brewster, NY may be accessed by the Van Cortlandt Golf Course parking lot. Native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest, historically significant route (former railroad route that ran through the park into 1980)
BROOKLYN
Lullwater
Location: Prospect Park
Enter Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue entrance. Trails begin or are near the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Park Name: Prospect Park
Length: 1.0 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Explore the Lullwater to see how nature thrives in the heart of Brooklyn. The Lullwater is a great place to see birds and other wildlife. Bathrooms, café and trail guides are available at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Midwood
Location: Prospect Park
Enter Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue entrance. Trails begin or are near the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Park Name: Prospect Park
Length: 0.75 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Discover Brooklyn's last forest. The Midwood is home to some of the largest trees in Prospect Park. Bathrooms, café and trail guides are available at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Peninsula
Location: Prospect Park
Enter Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue entrance. Trails begin or are near the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Park Name: Prospect Park
Length: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Discover how the Peninsula has changed over the last 300 years. The Peninsula's restored landscapes provide scenic views, a home for Park wildlife, and great fishing. Bathrooms, café and trail guides are available at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Salt Marsh Nature Trail
Location: Marine Park
Enter behind the Salt Marsh Nature Center, located near the intersection of East 33rd Street and Avenue U.
Park Name: Marine Park
Length: 0.8 miles
Other Details: [Please note: The nature trail (east side of Gerritsen Creek) is being renovated; please visit the trails on the west side in the meantime.]
Crushed bluestone trail through a pristine salt marsh ecosystem along Gerritsen Creek. Interpretive signs along the trail provide the hiker with information regarding the history, flora and fauna of the area. Viewing platforms, excellent birding opportunities. Comfort stations and maps are available inside the Salt Marsh Nature Center (11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Thursday - Tuesday, closed Wednesday).
Accessible
Waterfall
Location: Prospect Park
Enter Park at Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue entrance. Trails begin or are near the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
Park Name: Prospect Park
Length: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Trace the source of the Lake on the Waterfall trail. The Fallkill Falls is the first of six waterfalls that you will see along the Park's watercourse. Bathrooms, café and trail guides are available at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.
QUEENS
Blue Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.33 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
Blue Trail
Location: Forest Park
Forest Park Drive East, off of Woodhaven Boulevard
Park Name: Forest Park
Length: 1.7 miles
Other Details: Forest Park's numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds.
Green Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.3 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
Orange Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.42 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
Orange Trail
Location: Forest Park
Memorial Drive and Forest Park Drive East
Park Name: Forest Park
Length: 2.4 miles
Ralph Sloman Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.2 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
South Preserve Trail
Location: Cunningham Park
Francis Lewis Boulevard and Union Turnpike
Park Name: Cunningham Park
Length: 3.0 miles
Other Details: Numerous unnamed trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest.
Tulip Tree Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Cloverdale Boulevard east entrance
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.7 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
White Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.7 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
Yellow Trail
Location: Alley Pond Park
Behind ballfield 6 by Winchester Boulevard, north of Union Turnpike
Park Name: Alley Pond Park
Length: 0.45 miles
Other Details: Numerous trails wind through native hardwood (oak-hickory) forest and kettle ponds. The north end of the park boasts splendid salt marsh views.
Yellow Trail
Location: Forest Park
Metropolitan Avenue & Forest Park Drive East
Park Name: Forest Park
Length: 1.0 mile
STATEN ISLAND
Arden Woods Trail
Location: Arden Woods
Arden & Legate Avenue
Park Name: Arden Woods
Length: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Blue Trail (Northern Trailhead)
Location: Deere Park
Staten Island Boulevard
Park Name: Deere Park
Length: 12.3 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: This is the Greenbelt’s longest marked trail. Its northeastern trailhead at the Greenbelt’s Deere Park can be accessed from Staten Island Boulevard. Walk the trail to its end, near the Brielle Avenue-Roanoake Street intersection in Willowbrook, and you will either pass through or have a view of each of the Greenbelt’s five distinct vegetation zones.
Blue Trail (Southern Trailhead)
Location: Latourette Park & Golf Course
Brielle Avenue & Roanoake Street
Park Name: La Tourette Parks & Golf Course
Length: 12.3 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: This is the Greenbelt’s longest marked trail. Its northeastern trailhead at the Greenbelt’s Deere Park can be accessed from Staten Island Boulevard. Walk the trail to its end, near the Brielle Avenue-Roanoake Street intersection in Willowbrook, and you will either pass through or have a view of each of the Greenbelt’s five distinct vegetation zones.
Clove Lakes Park Trail
Location: Clove Lakes Park
Victory Boulevard
Park Name: Clove Lakes Park
Length: 3.0 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Includes views of wildlife, comfort stations, and a restaurant
Green Trail (Gretta Moulton Trail)
Location: High Rock Park
200 feet ahead of parking lot at the terminus of Nevada Avenue
Park Name: High Rock Park
Length: 0.75 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Other Details: The trail head of this circular trail is off the High Rock Park access road near the Nevada Avenue entrance. The hike takes you along kettle ponds and knobs, formations characteristic of terminal moraine topography. The upland forest includes a patch of persimmon trees. The trail is also known as the Gretta Moulton Trail in honor of an ardent Greenbelt supporter. Bathrooms nearby.
Lavender Trail
Location: High Rock Park
200 feet ahead of parking lot at the terminus of Nevada Avenue
Park Name: High Rock Park
Length: 0.25 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Jewelweed, skunk cabbage, and various grasses and water plants can be seen, along with black water snakes, snapping turtles, and spring peepers. Bathrooms nearby.
Long Pond Trail
Location: Long Pond Park
Page Avenue & Eugene Street
Park Name: Long Pond Park
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Nature Center Trail
Location: Latourette Park & Golf Course
Rockland & Brielle avenues
Park Name: La Tourette Parks & Golf Course
Length: 0.85 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: This gentle walk takes you through a forest of red maple, black birch, cherry, tulip, and sassafras trees. In the understory, there is an abundance of spicebush, which produces bright red berries in the fall. The trail connects to the blue trail and the white trail.
Pink Trail
Location: Freshkills Park
Mulberry Avenue off Travis Avenue (limited parking)
Park Name: William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
Length: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Other Details: Excellent birdwatching location; abounds with water-loving trees such as sweet gum and ash.
Red Trail
Location: Latourette Park & Golf Course
Richmond Road and St. Patrick's Place
Park Name: La Tourette Parks & Golf Course
Length: 4.0 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: Sites of interest include Heyerdahl Hill, the ruins of a 19th century vineyard estate, and a Bluebelt stormwater management pond in Egbertville. The trail skirts the golf course's edge.
White Trail (Northern)
Location: Willowbrook Park
Willowbrook Park off Victory Boulevard
Park Name: Willowbrook Park
Length: 7.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: Connects to Great Kills Park of the Gateway National Park System Service.
White Trail (Southern)
Location: Latourette Park & Golf Course
Rockland Avenue near Brielle Avenue (mid-way trailhead) or Richmond Road near Reidel Avenue
Park Name: La Tourette Parks & Golf Course
Length: 7.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate
Other Details: Connects to Great Kills Park of the Gateway National Park System Service.
Wolfe's Pond Trail
Location: Wolfes Pond Park
Hylan Boulevard & Cornelia Avenue
Park Name: Wolfes Pond Park
Length: 0.75 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Yellow Trail (Southwest Trailhead)
Location: Latourette Park & Golf Course
Richmond Avenue & Forest Hill Road
Park Name: La Tourette Parks & Golf Course
Length: 8.0 miles
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Other Details: Traverses the entire Greenbelt from its Northeast corner in the community of Todt Hill to its Southwest corner in New Springville; access Moses' Mountain at Rockland Avenue and Manor Road behind bus stop.